B A T T L E F I E L D
by LucyCallen
Summary: The place where a battle is fought; an area of conflict. That HAS to be the understatement of the century.
1. Chapter 1

**So here it is. Yes I deleted the old Battlefield coz I didn't like it so here is the new one.**  
><strong>Disclaimer: I'm Australian so I obviously don't own Naruto. I do own Kaiyo and always will.<strong>

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><p><strong><em>B A T T L E F I E L D<em>**

"Wow! That's the sailing ship you ordered?" I heard Naruto ask and I sniggered, shifting the pack on my bag.

"Actually Naruto, try the one next to it." I called, walking towards them. The blonde ninja turned around and I swear his jaw hit the ground. I giggled and pointed. He slowly pivoted and his jaw dropped even further as I joined the group, nodding at Yamato.

"Aw man, that's a piece of crap." He moaned.

"It's a top secret mission. A big ship would attract attention right?" Yamato asked. "It's better to go to the island like this." I cocked an eyebrow as Gai looked around.

"I don't see any of the seamen." He remarked. I rubbed my neck sheepishly and glanced at the three Chunin with us, grimacing.

"About that…" One said. "They refused to set sail into the open sea." Gai turned on him.

"Don't tell me you were stingy on the pay." He said, annoyed. The Chunin shook his head.

"It's not that." He stammered, looking at the others to back him up, and Gai sighed.

"Tell me. I won't get upset." He said calmly. The guys looked at each other and shrugged.

"Um, well, they say there's a monster out there," One said. "And it attacks any boat that tries to set sail." I blinked and glanced out at the water.

"A monster?" I asked. The Chunin nodded and shrugged. I glanced at Yamato and he nodded. Gai grinned suddenly and I casually stepped back as he pumped his fists.

"Alright! We have our first obstacle of the mission!" He shouted. I blinked and took another step back as he whirled on us.

"We shall need a boat and a rower!" He ordered, pointing at Yamato. The Wood User shook his head and scooted next to me, dragging Naruto with him, as the three Chunin stepped back as well. I sniggered as Aoba sighed and headed towards the rental building.

Five minutes later, Aoba and Gai are heading towards the bay outlet and I stood next to Naruto as the small boat floated further out.

"I don't know if it was good for Gai to make such a promise." Yamato said. I snorted and Naruto laughed.

"He'll be fine. Look, he's even doing warm up exercises." He said, pointing to the boat where I could dimly see Gai moving up and down on the side of the boat. Not the best thing to be doing on a boat but it is Gai. Suddenly, the water exploded in front of the small boat and something gleamed through the water.

"Is that a sword?" I shouted as the massive fish crashed back into the water. The fin of it appeared above the surface and it headed straight for the flimsy boat, smashing it into pieces. I saw Aoba and Gai straighten up form where they landed before one of them leapt away whilst the other…

"Yeeowww!" I winced as the blade of the thing pierced Gai's behind, sending him into the air. Suddenly, it turned tail and headed for Aoba. I dropped my pack and leapt onto the water, running towards the fight, when a spear hit the fish just before it sliced Gai and Aoba. My eyes followed the rope to see a small boat with an overeager fisherman holding on. The fish smashed into the boat, sending the man flying into the air.

"Damnit. Why do people always act so recklessly?" I muttered, just as an orange blur shot past, collecting the fisherman and landing in front of Gai and Aoba. I skidded to a stop next to them, pulling Gai up, just as the fisherman introduced himself.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, a shinobi of Konoha." Naruto said. "Leave the rest to me pal." He said as the swordfish appeared again, heading straight for us. Naruto blinked and glanced down.

"I can't do handsigns like this!" He shrieked as the blade came up. "What do I do?" I swore quietly and started to make handsigns.

"Wood Style: Giant Forest!" A mess of winding wood formed a sudden barrier between Naruto and the blade. The Blade slammed into the wood and pulled back, taking the wood with it, repeatedly. Naruto yelled something just as I formed my last handsign.

"Water Style: Water Wave Palm!" I said, crouching down, as a jet of water knocked into the fish.

"Scattering Crows Jutsu!" From behind Aoba, crows flew towards the fish, flying at its eyes as he grabbed my wrist and leapt back, running towards the mainland.

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><p>"Why would there be a Summoning Animal in a spot like that?" Naruto asked. I pulled my headband off, setting it flat to dry and untied my hair, running a hand through the damp strands.<p>

"Maybe it survived the Third Shinobi War?" Aoba guessed, staring at the floor. I shook my hair out.

"Either way, it's no wonder the fisherman are scared." I said, trying to get the knots out of the end. The door to the cabin opened and Yusuke, the fisherman Naruto rescued, entered.

"That thing has been here for fifteen years." He said, moving further in. I exhaled and gave up on my hair, just letting it fall around my shoulders.

"Normally, when the shinobi it is contracted with dies, the animal returns to its own world." Aoba noted. Yusuke sat down, busying himself with his rope.

"But why was that one acting up?" Naruto asked, confused. I smoothed out my headband.

"Maybe, for that animal, the war hasn't ended." Aoba said. Yusuke scoffed, wrapping his rope around his arm.

"Your shinobi wars are annoying." He said. "Because of that thing, all the cowardly seamen refuse to go to sea anymore." I bristled and Yamato shot me a look, clearly telling me to back down.

"What were you thinking, doing something that dangerous?" Naruto asked. I nodded and stretched my legs out.

"A fisherman's job is to catch fish." Yusuke replied simply. "I thought I was gonna get rid of him, once and for all, only to have **you** interfere." I gritted my teeth but stayed quiet, feeling Yamato's glare on me, but Naruto wasn't so quiet.

"If I hadn't have saved you, you'd be fish food right now!" He retorted angrily, standing up as Yusuke scoffed. "You should just leave that thing to us and stop acting so recklessly." Yusuke sniffed and hung his rope up on a hook.

"Shut up. If anyone's gonna beat that thing it's gonna be me, Yusuke." The fisherman snapped, punching the wall. "I'm not asking for much. If I had a stronger boat that could deal with that marlin's blows," I blinked. So it was a marlin, not a swordfish.

"And an internal combustion engine to match the speed and a fishing rod that had a lure and won't snap." He stared out the window and Naruto blinked, muttering something about asking for a lot.

"Why do you want the marlin so badly?" I asked, resting my arm on my knee. Yusuke paused, staring at a photo above my head and I shifted, seeing a young Yusuke next to what I think was his father. I winced and glanced back at Yusuke.

"I'm sorry." I murmured at the same time Naruto said, "Is that your dad?" Yusuke nodded, staring at the photograph.

"We're dead serious about fighting that fish." He said. "A guy who would lose isn't worthy of being called a father or son!" He gritted his teeth and turned around, leaving out the front door.


	2. Chapter 2

**Read the first cha[ter for the disclaimer. I don't feel like writing it every single time.**

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><p><em><strong>B A T T L E F I E L D<strong>_

Yusuke rounded the corner of his cabin and stopped dead at the sight of the boat, tethered to the platform. I grinned from where I was lying against the head and saluted him.

"Yusuke. We got you a rod as well!" Naruto cried, holding the wood in his hands. The fisherman blinked, stunned, and Yamato scratched his head sheepishly.

"What do you think? I tried to make them as best I could with the data available…" He explained. Yusuke stepped forward, taking the rod from Naruto and gave it an experimental flick before jumping in the boat. I yelped as it rocked and clung to the figurehead as Naruto sniggered. I glared darkly at him before turning back to Yusuke.

"I have absolutely no quarrel with the boat or rod," He started. "But this is no motorised boat. Without an internal combustion to match the marlin's power, it's useless." He said. I coughed and gestured to Gai.

"I give you the Noble Blue Beast engine." I said sarcastically as Gai beamed, throwing a thumbs up.

"So? What do you say?" Naruto asked eagerly. Yusuke glanced back and sniffed.

"Can't you mind your own business?" He asked. "With all this, you're taking the thrill out of the fight." I glared at him, fingers inching towards my weapons holster and Yamato glared at me warningly.

"Well aren't you stubborn." I muttered. Yusuke glared at me before his expression softened.

"You do realise the longer we stand around here, the more it stays here as well." He said finally, raising an eyebrow at Naruto. The shinobi grinned and leapt into the boat, making it rock and me to again yelp and clutch at the figurehead.

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><p>"Giant marlin spotted thirty degrees to the right!" Aoba called. He was up the front using one of his crows Jutsu's to locate the marlin. Yusuke nodded, turning to Gai.<p>

"Oi go around in front of him." He called back. Gai saluted and started rowing faster. I stumbled and sat down, feeling sick. When it's a big boat and it's going fine, I'm fine. But when it's a little boat going fast, I'm not fine. Yusuke nodded and pulled the cover off the new and improved lure I created last night.

"Hey what is that?" Naruto cried, pointing at the wooden lure. I chuckled, holding my head and glanced up.

"I thought Yusuke could use a colourful lure." I said, watching in amusement as Naruto's face managed to surprising feat of turning redder than Sakura's clothes, and he shook his head.

"Why does it look like me?" He asked as I groaned, holding my stomach and head. Yusuke shrugged.

"You're showy." He said simply before throwing it over the side. Naruto whimpered, watching the lure with wide eyes. I sniggered as Aoba and Yamato stood near me and Yusuke frowned.

"Faster!" He called. I groaned as Gai nodded and sped up, leaving my stomach behind me.

"I didn't think you were the type to get sick." Yamato said. I glanced up before spitting over the side.

"When it's a small boat going incredibly fast, I'm bound to get sick." I muttered before hunching over again, holding my head between my knees.

"Bushy Brow Sensei, faster!" Naruto yelled. I whimpered as Gai opened the Fourth and Fifth Inner Gates and the boat went faster. I slid down the seat until my back rested against the floor and I closed my eyes.

"He took the bait!" I heard Yusuke yell. "Can you keep up with it?" He yelled back to Gai. I groaned and rolled over, hitting someone's legs, as the boat sped up even more.

"You don't need to row anymore." Yusuke said suddenly. "Just follow the marlin and steer the boat." I moaned and curled into a ball as the boat sped up, without help from Gai. I don't know how long we went with the fish but suddenly, I heard Yusuke yell and I shot up, my hands full of shuriken as the water exploded and the marlin appeared. It leapt high into the air, blocking out the sun, and I gaped. It dove back under the water, soaking us through, and lay on the surface. Yusuke slid down until he was resting against the side.

"Why didn't the Summon return to its birthplace?" Aoba asked. I shrugged and Naruto straightened up, staring at it, before jumping onto its head. Almost immediately as he pulled a fuma shuriken out, it's eyes turned from an angry red to a dark, innocent blue and Naruto jumped back over, presenting the weapon to Yamato.

"It's a Demon Fuma Shuriken from Konoha." Yamato said, staring at the fish.

"So it was a victim of the Third Shinobi War." I murmured. Aoba nodded and turned towards Yusuke.

"If possible, we would like to return it to its birthplace." He said. The fisherman nodded.

"Sure, do whatever you like with it." He said cheerfully. "Our little one-on-one duel is over. No more grudges." He grinned at Naruto and I folded my arms over my chest.

"Okay, we send it on its way then one of you is paying for me to get my hair fixed." I said, flicking a still wet lock of hair out of my face, but it fell back. Naruto sniggered and Aoba reached over, tucking it behind my ear, before turning back to the sunset. The marlin swam towards the setting sun before leaping up into the air and disappearing in a cloud of smoke. I smiled and looped my arm through Naruto's as the sun disappeared below the horizon.

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><p>"As long as Gai doesn't have anything to do with the speed of <em><strong>this<strong>_ boat, I'll be absolutely fine." I said, stretching as we pulled away from the docks. Naruto laughed and waved at Yusuke as we got further away and he waved back before being swallowed up by the mainland. I sighed and leant against the rail, sighing.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked. The comment drew the attention of Yamato, Aoba and Gai who glanced at me in concern. I flicked a finger at the mainland.

"I'll be sad he's gone. Yes he had a bit of an attitude but he was gorgeous to look at." I said, examining a nail. The reactions were priceless. Gai's eyes bugged out and he turned a vague shade of purple while Naruto and Yamato slumped over and Aoba flushed a bright pink. I sniggered and unzipped my flak jacket before heading below deck.


	3. Chapter 3

**Yes I skipped the Ninja's of Benisu because I really didn't see Kaiyo in there at all. So just pretend she stayed with Yamato and Aoba watching over Gai.**

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><p><em><strong> B A T T L E F I E L<strong>_**_D_******

I burst into the cabin, hearing Naruto scream like a demon, and stopped dead. Naruto cowered away from Aoba and Yamato had a torch lit under his face. I snorted and sat down next to Aoba, putting my shuriken back into its pouch before reaching over and slapping Naruto.

"You are such a baby!" I hissed. "I hear you scream murder and now I find you got freaked out by a wood clone." I sat back, folding my arms over my chest, and yawned.

"Captain Yamato, your face is bad for my heart." Naruto stammered, sitting back down. I sniggered and Yamato shrugged apologetically.

"Sorry Naruto. The fog is so thick and there's nothing else to do." He explained, pushing me over so he could sit down. I crashed into Aoba and shot Yamato a dirty look before fixing my Jonin vest with dignity.

"But still, a grown man like you telling ghost stories." Naruto said. I sniggered.

"Yamato is grown in looks alone." I said, winking at the captain. He coughed and Naruto grumbled, glaring at me.

"You can't talk Kaiyo." Aoba said in my ear. I stiffened and turned around, glaring at him. "You get freaked out by ghost stories as I recall." I sniffed and he smirked. "You're both easy to scare." Yamato chuckled and I folded my arms, turning away from the taller Jonin.

"Stories like that don't scare me one bit." Naruto said in a huff. I raised an eyebrow and pointedly ignored the snicker from Aoba as Yamato raised a finger.

"Okay then. I'll tell you the best one yet." He said, grinning. I swallowed and took a deep breath.

"I heard it appears on days like these." Naruto gulped. "It comes, led in by black crows who guide the souls of dead men. A giant friar's lantern that lights the mast confirms its presence." My fingers shook and I was reminded strongly of the time when Konoha was attacked by dead bodies. Not my favourite memory at all.

"When you encounter it, the final journey towards the land of the dead starts." Yamato said. "That is, the ghost ship." I slammed my hand down on the table, squeezing my eyes shut.

"Stop it." I said, my voice wavering. "I admit it. I'm terrified of ghosts and the dead." I stood up, my chest heaving. "Finish your ghost story some other time, without me!" I threw the door open and stormed up to the deck before leaning over the side. Trust Yamato to tell some freaky story that gets me going.

"Don't tell me this fog…" I groaned as Naruto appeared beside me, followed by Aoba and the ghost teller himself.

"Yes, the ship appears in fog like this." Yamato said. I gritted my teeth and he turned around. "Just kidding! Ghost stories like that are old superstitions." I exhaled heavily and the weight of a hand fell on my shoulder. I glanced up and Aoba squeezed my shoulder reassuringly before turning to Yamato.

"I thought so. Of course there's no such thing." Naruto said.

"Yeah, that's what you said about zombies Naruto." I said, rubbing my hands together. "You did pretty well on that one." I referred to the dead bodies attack on Konoha and Naruto gulped. Suddenly, the wind picked up and I shivered, zipping my vest up.

"What was that?" Naruto asked. I jumped and hissed, punching Yamato in the shoulder.

"Now you got me worked up." I whispered furiously. He ignored me, pushing past to the edge of the ship, and stared out into the fog. My breathing picked up and I reached out, gripping onto Naruto's arm, as the silhouette of a ship came into focus.

"A ghost ship?" Naruto asked, frightened. I swallowed and shook myself. The ship pulled alongside us and Yamato gave the order the throw a bridge over.

"You're joking right?" Naruto asked as I grabbed a lantern and jumped over, ignoring the net all together. I held a hand out to Yamato and pulled him up as Aoba started over.

"It's definitely a suspicious looking ship." Yamato said, glancing around. "But marine laws dictate lost ship must not be ignored." He explained. I held a hand out to Aoba and helped him as Naruto scrambled after us.

"I may be a Jonin," I said, hastily grabbing onto Aoba's sleeve. "But I am also a seventeen year old who is terrified of ghosts and dead…ness. So I propose my staying with an older person." I said. He chuckled and patted my hand, leading us around the side.

"It looks deserted." Aoba said, lifting his lantern up. I rolled my eyes.

"What gave it away? The tattered sails or the lack of any life?" I asked sarcastically before stiffening. "Did you hear that?" I asked, turning around. The lantern cast an eerie light over everything but I didn't see anything. "I swear I heard voices." Aoba shook his head and tugged my wrist.

"Naruto is also on the ship. He's probably talking to himself." He said reasonably. I sucked in a deep breath and let it out, nodding. "Come on. We'll check below deck." I bit my lip but snatched Aoba's sleeve in a death grip. We moved below and it was darker than before with the only light coming from our lanterns. From above, I heard Naruto yelling and huffing, and frowned. Aoba glanced at me and tilted his head towards the stairs. I shrugged and hurried up, glad to be out of the dark, and stopped dead.

"Naruto?" The blonde, and several copies, ran around on deck, lifting buckets and passing them along. I gaped and moved further along, dodging several copies.

"Hey Kaiyo!" A Naruto ran up to me and pointed me in the direction what I assumed to be the galley. "I'm in there." I nodded in confusion but started towards the room.

"Captain!" "Hokage!" "Captain!" I blinked and peered in, opening the door fully. Naruto was standing face to face with a kid and slamming his hands on a table, yelling 'Hokage'. The kid replied by shouting 'Captain'. Suddenly, they burst into laughter and I sniggered.

"So we both have something we're aiming for." Naruto said. "Hey, teach me that thing you did with the broom. It was cool." The kid looked down.

"The captain taught it to me. He also gave me this brush." He said, slapping it into his hand.

"Can we join the conversation?" I yelped, jumping a mile high, as the boy and Naruto looked towards us. Yamato stood behind me with Aoba and opened the door. Naruto grinned.

"Hishaku, this is Captain Yamato, Aoba and Kaiyo." He said, pulling me further into the room. Hishaku beamed and pulled a bench out, gesturing for me to sit down. I smiled and ruffled his hair as Aoba and Yamato sat down opposite us.

"I looked around but it's just an ordinary ship Captain Yamato." Naruto said. "It's not a ghost ship." Hishaku burst out laughing.

"A ghost ship? That's superstition." He said between giggles. Naruto frowned.

"What about that?" He asked, gesturing to where the mast was. I pinched the bridge of my nose and Hishaku looked lost.

"He means the glow on the mast." I explained, tossing a look at the thick shinobi. The boy sailor nodded in understanding.

"That's supposed to be a good luck charm for sailors. It's just static electricity discharging." He explained, grinning. I laughed and sat back, finally relaxing a little bit.

"Then what about the crows on the mast?" Naruto demanded.

"Could've been Aoba." I mumbled cheekily. The Jonin frowned at me and I pulled a face.

"Those aren't crows." Hishaku sang, shaking a finger. "They're seabirds taking a rest and they're dirty from the ash in the smokestack." Naruto blinked and I snickered.

"Putting aside ghost stories," Yamato said. "We took the liberty of checking the inside of this ship as well. And there are no other sailors beside you. What happened?" He asked. Hishaku looked down, fiddling with his hands.

"A ship this class requires a few hands." Aoba remarked.

"Oh yeah. Where's the captain who gave you that brush?" Naruto asked. Hishaku frowned and I rested a hand on his shoulder.

"I used to have shipmates." He said quietly.

"I presume something happened." Yamato said, ignoring the look I shot him.

"Under the sea, lurks something even more terrifying than a stupid superstition about a ghost ship." Hishaku said. The ship creaked and tilted and I tightened my grip on Hishaku. The brush fell and he grabbed it, looking around frantically.

"It's here!"


End file.
